Claire's tests came out fine. Thanks to those who emailed.
If there is one victory we can claim here on the internet, it is that we have forever removed the ability of government to lie to their people with impunity. Absent that, there will be fewer wars.
Already we see the elites trying to roll the world back to pre-internet days, much as the elites in Gutenberg's time tried to roll back his making books affordable to the middle classes. But like that previous effort, the attempt to reverse progress is doomed to fail. The elites will have to adjust to the new reality of a public aware and on the lookout for their lies, or they will stop being the elites." -- Michael Rivero
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday pointed a finger at Iran when discussing the attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea at the hands of Houthi rebels.
On Sunday, ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis struck three commercial ships, while the American warship, the USS Carney, downed three drones that were headed in its direction.
Israel has signaled it is prepared to take the war on Hamas far beyond the confines of Gaza and the West Bank. Fresh words by the country's defense minister have invoked "our Munich" in relation to planned efforts to hunt down notable Hamas operatives abroad.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and oil cooperation, among other issues, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
“Tomorrow, President Putin’s working visits to the UAE and Saudi Arabia will take place,” the spokesman told reporters.
The Kremlin official was asked what will the agenda of talks include, in addition to the cooperation in the oil field.
Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after war ends, Egyptian and regional sources told Reuters.
US Central Command provided a detailed summary of the four maritime attacks carried out by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, targeting commercial vessels on Sunday:
Today, there were four attacks against three separate commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea. These three vessels are connected to 14 separate nations. The Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer USS CARNEY responded to the distress calls from the ships and provided assistance.
The truce in Gaza has collapsed, and Israel has resumed their attacks on the civilians of Gaza. Over 14,000 people have died in Gaza, and about half are children. On Friday, the death toll is increasing once again after days of peace.
The Untied States has struggled to finance its large military buildup in the Middle East, which began in early October in response to the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and various Palestinian militia groups based in the Gaza Strip. A primary issue has been a gridlock in the U.S.
The US Navy carried out provocative military exercises off the Yemeni coast in the Gulf of Aden, near the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
Saudi “Al-Hadath” TV channel reported that the US Navy Central Command is conducting military exercises simulating the storming and seizure aboard the missile destroyer “USS Mason” in the Gulf of Aden.
The channel added that the military exercises were part of what it called “maritime security support operations in the Middle East.”
An American warship and multiple commercial ships came under attack Sunday in the Red Sea, the Pentagon said. Yemen’s Houthi rebels later claimed attacks on two ships they described as being linked to Israel, but did not acknowledge targeting a U.S. Navy vessel.
The attack potentially marked a major escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Mideast linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
